Coffee pickers and their families gather early in the morning at Finca El Zapote in Acatenango, Guatemala. Houston coffeehouse owner Mike McKim traveled to Guatemala's misty highlands in search of high-quality coffee beans. less

Coffee pickers and their families gather early in the morning at Finca El Zapote in Acatenango, Guatemala. Houston coffeehouse owner Mike McKim traveled to Guatemala's misty highlands in search of high-quality ... more

Photo: JENNIFER SZYMASZEK, FOR THE CHRONICLE

Image 5 of 5

Gourmet coffee quest goes right to the source

1 / 5

Back to Gallery

ACATENANGO, GUATEMALA — Like most Houston businessmen heading to work in the pre-dawn darkness, all Mike McKim could think about was coffee.

But as others satisfied their urge sipping takeout lattes on traffic-clogged highways, McKim was following his obsession up a winding mountain road into Guatemala's misty highlands.

The owner of a small Houston coffee-roasting house, he spent the morning trudging between snow-capped volcanoes thousands of miles from home looking for the perfect brew.

In the past, small U.S. coffee roasters seldom visited faraway Third World producer countries. Instead they bought beans directly from an importer.

But now a growing number of small-scale, high-end roasters are going straight to the farmer's gate to find "single origin" beans that will dazzle picky customers' palates.

"Flying down here is a massive investment, but it's one I'm prepared to make," McKim, who owns Spring-based roaster Cuvée Coffee, said recently during his first trip to Guatemala in search of a supplier. "There are some really great coffees in some very obscure regions."

Latest Business News

President of Disney Theatrical Productions Accused of Sexual MisconductWibbitz

All of the Kitchenware at the Disney Home StoreFood & Wine

Disney Reportedly Bringing New 'Muppets' Series to Streaming ServiceWibbitz

How to Make Shrimp Boil NachosMyRecipes

Buffalo Cauliflower Is Out, Korean Fried Cauliflower Is InDelish

Gun Enthusiast Shows How Easy it is to Buy a AR-15 in South CarolinaStoryful

Black Panther Director Ryan Coogler's Emotional Note to FansWibbitz

The Healthiest Kids' Meals at Fast Food ChainsReal Simple

In a process dubbed "direct trade," roasters sign multiyear contracts promising farmers more than the volatile world coffee price in exchange for steady, high-quality supply.

McKim pays farmers between $2.50 and $4.50 a pound for green coffee, which is currently going for about $1.33 a pound on the New York Board of Trade.

Industry giant Starbucks already offers such long-term contracts. Now small- to medium-size roasters focusing on the $12.3 billion-a-year luxury food market are getting in on the act.

Supporters say the system benefits both sides, providing gourmet roasters with top-notch beans they can market like a fine wine or single malt whiskey, while freeing growers from the boom-and-bust commodity cycle.

Many roasters like McKim also say it is a more market-viable way to get cash directly to farmers than "fair trade" certification. That process ensures growers a living wage but doesn't guarantee coffee quality.

In Pacific Northwest cities like Seattle, gray skies and frequent rain are conducive to spending hours hunched in cafes over books or laptops.

Houston is not Seattle, but more and more local roasters believe the Bayou City is on the verge of a high-end coffee boom.

After one cooperative's coffee blew him away, he signed a contract at a price well above market value for an eight-month supply. He hopes to enter a longer-term agreement.

"We went down there and we looked for something that was just so exceptional that it warranted bringing back," Katz said.

Long-term contracts

McKim, 38, is so fixated on coffee that he once hawked bags of it to Houston restaurant owners from the back of his car. He is already working on entering long-term contracts with farms in El Salvador and traveled to Guatemala to scope out potential partners.

Early one morning, he drove with farmer Julio Meléndez to a plantation in the mountain village of Acatenango.

As the looming volcanoes shimmered in the dawn, the pair descended into lush coffee groves. Harvesters wearing the technicolor traditional blouses of local Maya villagers carried baskets of red coffee cherries on their heads.

McKim spent the morning inspecting the farm and drilling Meléndez about his production techniques. Impressed, McKim requested samples to roast and taste — the test that will dictate whether he seeks a long-term contract.

"This could be the beginning of something great," McKim said hopefully.

Not as enthusiastic

"I can't go to Costa Rica every week and find good coffees ... it's too complicated," said Mills Duncan, owner of Duncan Coffee Co., one of Houston's largest roasters.

Paying above 'fair trade'

Roasters like McKim say that they pay prices above "fair trade" levels and that those revenues trickle down to poor coffee pickers.

But fair-trade certifiers warn against cutting them out, saying customers concerned about exploitation need more than promises.

"When American consumers go to the supermarket, they want to know who the independent third party is verifying all these claims," said Anthony Marek, a spokesman for U.S. fair-trade certifier Transfair USA.

With a recession looming, jetting abroad to satisfy a luxury food niche may seem risky. Starbucks recently issued a profit warning after a downturn in U.S. consumer spending. But Houston roasters hope an important advantage on their side, even during slowdowns, will allow them to stay dynamic.

"What we're in is a business of addiction," Katz said. "People are pretty resilient and creative when it comes to staying caffeinated."